Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1887-11-04


''Indeed, love both; but 1 hope you
won't think me a dreadful romp, from
what your cousin said. Aunt Kate did
not approve of me dancing in hot rooms,
but she allowed me to climb trees when I
was alone at the farm, and it is such fun.
Aunt Kate says a girl should be healthy,
before all things, and as I'm always well
I suppose 1 can thank her for it.
Alfred's admiration for this lovely COM
bination of beauty and gentleness in
creased with every word she spoke, and
the list of August found him boarding at
the house of Silas Cloud, the second
cousin of the aunt of Flossie Breck.
Flossie had been drought up strictly"
but in a small country town, where the
need of chaperon had never been i'm
pressed on her; SO that her enjoyment of
Alfred's society was unclouded by q
single thought of etiquette or "good
form.1' And Alfred was in an earthly
paradise. Every morning Flossie took a
walk before breakfast, and then enjoyed
her hearty but simple meal of oatmeal,
potatoes, milk and bread. Alfred shared
the walk and the breakfast and then he
and Flossie climbed trees. This sounds
startling; but it was decorously done.
Alfred climbed first, and assisted Flossie
up, and as the trees were low branching
orchard trees, climbing involved even less
romping energy than tennis. There
among the rustling leaves and sociable in
sects Alfred basked in the light of Flos-
sizes presence, and discovered new charms
in her every moment. He found her fully
conscious that her mental requirements
were far inferior to his, and eager to listen
to his instruction and advice, and as he
read to her choice selections of prose and
poetry his joy at her appreciative SYM
pathy was increased by frequent glances
over the top Of his book, for Flossie was
grace itself, and each position she took
among the curving branches was more
lovely than the last. On Sundays Flossie
exchanged her graceful tennis costume for
a conventional but becoming church cos
tune, and she and Alfred attended the
afternoon service at the village church.
Afterward, on their way home, they lin
gered in the shady paths and talked phil
osophy.
s'Bless her little hearth She has more
sympathy than any girl ever knew, and
she is as good as she is pretty" said AL
fred, rapturously, to himself, as her beau
tiful eyes so often met his, full Of gentlest
confidence in his wisdom and scarce yelled
admiration of his manly projections.
1t was an enchanted solitude. Silas
and his wife were visible only at meal
times, or at q distance, when engaged in
agricultural OF poultrycultural pursuits.
Alfred hardly cared to read his letters or
the newspapers; Flossie received very few
letters, and this met Alfreds approval,
Or he objected to a miscellaneous collec-
ton of female friends such as most girls
have.
Flossie had only one correspondent be-
sides her aunt. This was Philadelphia
girl, who had attended the seminary in
the town where Flossie lived, and had
visited at Flossie's home.
''Aunt Kate distrusted her at first, be-
cause she was boarding school girl q was
never away to SCHOOL,, but she liked her
afterward, except when Bella ate green
apples and wanted to make me eat one.
Auntie was furious for a while,'' muir
INJURED Flossie, in her soothing, musical
voice.
''What a very fine woman your aunt
must bel I approve entirely of her ideas.
I have noticed lately that you do not take
a bite of every apple you see, as many
people do"
ooh, auntie did not allow me to eat be-
tween mealsp' said Flossie.
This statement brought matters to
crisis.
"Here have found youth, beauty, do
cility and digestion-what more can I
wish?' thought Alfred.
Before sunset Of that day Flossie was
engaged to him, and before Christmas
they were married. Love and Hygeia
presided over this suspicious union, and
Alfred was in the seventh heaven of
earthly bliss
But of the two genii who attend upon
to be heard from.
Genius number one had found Alfred
his ideal girl.
Genius number two cunningly concealed
from him the following letter, which Flos-
sic wrote soon after her engagement had
been made public:
sMY DARLING BEL-Wish me Joy
I've got out of Aunt Kate's clutches, and
into the hands of a rich, handsome and
soft adorer! We will be married iInme-
diately. How did l get him? you'll say,
living in this dull hole. Well, my love,
last summer auntie sent me, for economy,
to board at Cousin Silas Clouds while
she went north. There heard of rich
young fellow who had been fishing in
S.. | traced him to Brinton, and
found that he was Jane Moores cousin
fancy that cat having handsome cousinl
l managed to get an invitation out of her,
and soon learned that he had hobby
about marrying a healthy wife. 1t took
just a month to catch him-easy work,
too, for made the most of Aunt Kates
starvation training-and now I'm free
from her, and will have house all my
own-no in-laws for me-and you shall
visit me the very day get settled. Won't
we have fun? I'm going to send you $40
for candy, candy, candy, to bring with
you. I mean to make up for lost time.
Well eat from morn. till night, and
shall do just as please all the rest of my
life. Joyfully yours, Flossie. Eva
Muller in Pittsburg Bulletin.